Chapter 12: Contractual Aspects of Marriage and Divorce
1. Along with minimum ages for marriage with or without parental permission, some states have laws
specifying a minimum age for dating.
2. No law exists that forces the parents of an illegitimate child to marry.
3. Today, about one-fourth of the states allow common-law marriages, although all states must recognize such a
union if it is legal in the state in which it occurred.
4. There are few laws that require parents to support their children until adulthood, because it is difficult to
determine what is adequate support.
5. Keeping a spouse from getting property rights can be accomplished with a prenuptial agreement.
6. An annulment must be sought from an appropriate court to confirm the status of a void marriage.
7. In most no-fault states, irreconcilable differences is the legal reason for marriage dissolution.
8. States that do not follow the common-law rule are called community property states.
9. The mental health of a parent is not used in consideration of determining child custody.
10. Unless joint custody is awarded to both parents, the noncustodial parent is not obligated to support the
minor child(ren).
11. Laws that affect areas of premarital relationships include all of the following except
C. the father’s responsibility when a child results from a premarital relationship.
D. couples living together outside of marriage.
12. Which law exists that restricts the choice of marital partners?
A. marrying outside of one’s religion
B. marrying someone from another race
13. Laws that force the parents of an illegitimate child to marry
A. exist in every state.
B. are not difficult to enforce.
14. If only one party wants out of the marriage contract,
C. the woman always gets to keep the engagement ring.
D. the courts require the marriage to take place.
15. All of the following except the right to __________________ is one of the parent’s right to control the
education of their children.
C. home school their child
D. send their child to a religious school
16. Once the marriage license has been issued, which of the following can perform the wedding ceremony?
A. mayor
B. judge
17. Which of the following statements is true with regard to parents’ controlling and allocating a child’s
resources in the form of talents, creative production, and resulting income?
A. Parents may use their child’s resources to acquire better living standards.
B. Parents’ rights must be exercised in a manner to ultimately benefit the child.
18. The most important duty of both spouses is to
C. have the same last name.
D. save for retirement.
19. Fraudulent grounds for marriage include
A. incompatibility.
B. inability to have children.
20. In a no-fault divorce proceeding, which grievance could the requesting spouse list?
A. adultery
B. desertion
21. All of the following are included among the laws which affect premarital relationships except
C. the responsibility of the father when a child results from a premarital relationship.
D. couples living together outside of marriage.
22. If parents tell their minor child not to date or not to see a specific person,
C. they can obtain a restraining order.
D. all of the above.
23. If one party in a heterosexual relationship proposes marriage and the other accepts
C. they’re required to get married within 18 months or the engagement is null and void.
D. none of the above.
24. In the vast majority of states, parental consent to marry
C. is necessary if the parties are under 21 years of age.
D. is never necessary.
25. A civil union is also known by the term
A. cordial union.
B. interstate marriage.
26. An exception to the law that mandates parents’ obligations to support their children until they reach
adulthood is
A. if the parents have joint custody.
B. if the parents are legally separated or divorced.
27. A marriage may end by
A. death of either spouse.
B. annulment.
28. A void marriage may stem from any of the following except
C. mental incompetence of a party or parties.
D. bigamy.
C. may be initiated only by the husband.
D. may be initiated only by the wife.
30. The division of property based on English common law states that should the marriage end, property
brought into a marriage by a spouse,
C. remains the property of the spouse, but anything earned during the marriage is divided equally.
D. is divided evenly, but anything earned during the marriage remains the property of the earning spouse.
31. _______________ is a legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife.
32. A man and woman who live together outside of marriage are said to _______________.
33. If both parties agree to end their engagement, the binding contract that resulted from their engagement is
_______________.
34. _______________ marriages occur when a single woman and a single man live together, share common
property, and hold themselves out as husband and wife over a prolonged period of time (usually 10 years or
35. The law recognizes the mutual duties of the wife and husband and calls them the _______________.
36. In the event of death or divorce, keeping a spouse from getting property rights to the assets they brought into
the marriage can be accomplished with a _______________.
37. A(n) _______________ marriage results from a problem that existed from the beginning of the supposed
union.
38. A person who knowingly marries a second spouse while still married to the first is a(n) _______________.
39. In a(n) _______________ divorce proceeding, the requesting spouse does not have to list a grievance.
40. The issue of _______________ is concerned with the division of the physical and other care and control
responsibilities for a child.
41. What is a prenuptial agreement? What is its purpose?
A prenuptial agreement is a signed contract that allows spouses to keep the rights to the property they possessed
42. What is the difference between a voidable marriage and a void marriage?
A voidable marriage results from a problem that existed from the beginning of the supposed union—a spouse
43. When Tom and Sherilyn got engaged, Tom gave her a two-carat diamond ring. Several months later, Tom
got “cold feet” and broke off the engagement. Does Sherilyn have to return the diamond ring? Why or why
not?
More than likely, Sherilyn would get to keep the ring. Though the courts generally order a ring given in
44. After only dating for a few months, Arman and Andrea got married. Arman had told Andrea that his daily
medication was for blood pressure, but as his behavior became more erratic and volatile, she researched the
name of his medication. Andrea learned that Arman had mental health issues and he had been lying to her all
along. Can Andrea end their marriage?